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Does this sound like thrush?

I just joined the forums yesterday and have all sorts of questions now! My latest is this: I've been having burning & stinging/shooting pains in both nipples/breasts for the last few days. Nipples are reddish and a little tender to touch. It doesn't really hurt to nurse unless the baby (DD is almost 8 weeks old) is pulling a lot or on/off the breast a lot (which she has been lately...I thought this might have been causing the soreness to begin with). I get the shooting pains and burning sensations randomly in between nursing sessions. Does this sound like thrush? I called my midwife's office to see what they thought and they prescribed me a "multipurpose" cream with an antifungal agent to start off with. Said that would help if it was thrush, and maybe even if it was something else. Baby has no sign of thrush in her mouth but she has had a diaper rash on and off for the last few weeks (more on than off..she poops a lot). Her pedi prescribed Nystatin (sp?) as a precaution since I'm being treated for yeast.

What I'm wondering is if this sounds like thrush, to those who've had experience with it, and what precautions I should take since I'm not really sure what it is. Could be nothing but the result of a fussing, wiggly baby for all I know. Also, I know I shouldn't freeze pumped milk while I have an infection, but I'm assuming it's ok to pump & then refrigerate & feed it to her w/in 24 hours? Just want to be sure..don't want this lingering any longer than it should.

Thanks in advance for the advice! I have found these forums to be super helpful already!

Re: Does this sound like thrush?

It sounds like it defintely could be. We had it when my lo was about 18 months, and my symptoms were very similar to what you describe. However, DS also had white patches on the insides of his cheeks as well, and later on the inside of his lips (and it was completely noticable). If it is, you'll probably notice your lo's symptoms appear pretty quick here.
As far as precautions, just be sure to let your nipples dry completely before covering them up - I found that to be really helpful.

Re: Does this sound like thrush?

What you describe certainly sounds thrush-y to me. If you determine that it is thrush, make sure to treat baby as well as mama. It is common for one member of the nursing pair to be asymptomatic when in reality both are infected. So don't let anyone brush you off with " I don't see any white patches, it's not thrush". One thing that certainly makes thrush more likely is that yeast rash on your baby's bum. Yeast at one end of the digestive system implies yeast at the other end.

Re: Does this sound like thrush?

with pps. Also you can start some probiotics, if it is thrush they should help quite a bit. I thought I was developing thrush a month ago or so and started probiotics and garlic capsules. I have been able to ward it off as a full blown attack. Even if they don't keep it bay, they can't hurt.

Re: Does this sound like thrush?

Thank you! She is being treated as well...we're doing the Nystatin 4X a day starting yesterday (same day that I started my treatment). I eat greek yogurt almost everyday, but I will look into additional probiotics & the garlic capsules as well. Might start doing the vinegar wash too...that website with the pictures was really helpful. Her tongue has been white but I didn't realize that could be thrush, I thought it was normal. I didn't see any patches so I figured it was fine...

Re: Does this sound like thrush?

A whitish coating on the tongue is normal and not a sign of thrush.

It can be tough to diagnose thrush. There have been some articles lately suggesting that thrush is overdiagnosed, and that bacteria is a more common cause of nipple pain (latch problems being the most common). The multipurpose cream probably contains an antibiotic as well as an antifungal to cover both possibilities.

The article It's Thrush. Or Is It? might be helpful, or it might just be more confusing! The gist is, if the symptoms don't improve with appropriate treatment for thrush, then it's probably something other than thrush.

One other thought... There was a study that found Nystatin doesn't always work in treating thrush in babies, and that an oral fluconazole suspension is more effective. That might be something to ask your baby's doctor about if it seems like it's not working.